2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wiernicki
Of Polish origin, meaning someone from the village of Wiernik or an occupational name for a basket maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Wiernicki. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiernicki surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Wiernicki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiernicki
The surname Wiernicki has its origins in Poland, a country in Central Europe with a rich tapestry of history and culture. The name most likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 14th to 15th centuries, a time when surnames became increasingly common in Poland due to the influence of feudalism and the need for more precise identification of individuals.
Wiernicki is a toponymic surname, which means it is derived from a place name. It likely originates from villages or smaller settlements in Poland with names such as Wiernik or the diminutive Wierniki. These place names are derived from the Polish word "wier," which is based on the Old Polish word for "faith" or "trust." It indicates that the first bearers of the surname were likely inhabitants of or persons associated with such places.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in XV century Polish records, though exact dates and specific documents are elusive due to the scattered nature of medieval Polish archival material. Early spelling variants, such as Wyrnyk or Wernik, suggest phonetic adaptations over time but maintain a recognizable connection to the original form.
Over the centuries, families bearing the name Wiernicki spread across various regions of Poland. An early notable figure is Jan Wiernicki, a minor noble recorded in the registers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the early 1600s. His role in local governance and economic activities is mentioned in several regional chronicles.
In the 18th century, another prominent Wiernicki was Stanisław Wiernicki, born in 1724, who served as a military officer in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. His actions during the Bar Confederation, an association of Polish nobles formed between 1768 and 1772 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, are documented in military records of the era.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Antoni Wiernicki, born in 1821, who became known in academic circles for his contributions to ethnographic and historical studies of Poland’s eastern regions. His published works remain valuable for scholars studying the cultural history of the borderlands.
Another significant individual bearing the Wiernicki name was Marta Wiernicka, born in 1868. She was a pioneering figure in the early feminist and suffrage movements in Poland. Her efforts helped advance women's rights at a time when the country was under partition by neighboring empires.
In the early 20th century, the name gained visibility through the activities of Jerzy Wiernicki, born in 1893, a prominent figure in the Polish independence movement. Involved in underground resistance activities during World War I and later during World War II, his dedication to his country was recognized posthumously with various national honors.
The surname Wiernicki remains a testament to the enduring legacy of Polish culture and history, with its origins tracing back to medieval times and its bearers contributing to various fields of Polish society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiernicki
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiernicki bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Wiernicki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 104
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiernicki
Wiernicki appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,290 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-16 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,012 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 3,290 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 15,012 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Wiernicki surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #137,327 | #152,339 | -10.9% |
| Count | 122 | 106 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiernicki bearers went from 122 to 106 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 15,012 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #152,339.
FAQ
Wiernicki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiernicki?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Wiernicki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Wiernicki?
Wiernicki ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Wiernicki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Wiernicki.
Has Wiernicki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiernicki went from 122 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 16 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiernicki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiernicki, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wiernicki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiernicki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Wiernicki (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Wiernicki mean?
Of Polish origin, meaning someone from the village of Wiernik or an occupational name for a basket maker. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Wiernicki (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Wiernicki?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Wiernicki at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.